The U. S. Small Business Administration has federal economic injury disaster loans available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private non-profit organizations in Florida due to a drought that occurred from March 15, 2009 to May 26, 2009.

Two Tri-County students — one from Levy County and one from Dixie County — won awards for their age divisions in the “Dig It — The Secrets of Soil” poster contest sponsored statewide by the Association of Conservation Districts.

The statewide judging was held in Jacksonville earlier this month.

Shelbi McCall of Dixie County, who had already won first place in local and district poster competition, placed thired in the fourth to sixth grade division.

The U.S. Postal Service will begin delivering TRIM — Truth in Millage — notices to Levy County property owners this week.

And the news in those 48,776 notices might not be what some folks expect, Oz Barker, Levy County Property Appraiser said.

But before picking up the telephone or heading to Barker's office in a lather, he would like you to sit down with the tax bill, read a letter he has written explaining the property tax notice and any changes.

National Hurricane Center in Miami announced early this morning the formation of the first named storm of the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

As of 11 a.m. Saturday, Tropical Storm Ana was moving west at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. It was located approximately 920 miles east of the Leeward Islands, the chain of islands southeast of Puerto Rico, latitude 14.3 north and longitude 48.3 west.

CEDAR KEY — Dan Noah, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Service – Ruskin, visited Cedar Key recently to meet with officials and residents for Levy Tide Project training. Noah held a similar training for Yankeetown earlier in the day.

New storm tide markers based on accurate Mean Sea Level readings have been placed around Cedar Key and Yankeetown, allowing municipal emergency responders to work closely with the NWS-Ruskin, and resulting in more accurate data to determine storm surge behavior.

The Chiefland City Commission is still wrangling with its budget for the coming year, with a contract for fire service for Fowlers Bluff, being a sticky point along with Fire Chief John Ward’s push that his department be allowed to keep a capital outlay savings fund.

El Niño is here, and the National Weather Service and the Levy County Emergency Management are urging residents to prepare for potential severe weather caused by its impacts.

El Niño, the periodic warming of central and eastern tropical Pacific waters, occurs on average every two to five years and typically lasts about 12 months, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.